car battery connectors

wijcc · 21 Jan 2008 at 16:23

There seems to be a "lighty blue" chalky kind of power residue building up on the car battery connectors on the car. I have just put a new battery in. There was the same residue buildup on the old battery, I cleaned it off. But now it is starting to build up again just had the new battery in for about a week or so now.
Does anyone know why I am getting this build up on the battery terminal connectors?
Thanks in advance guys

LewisStuart · 21 Jan 2008 at 16:25

you get a type of grease to stop this happening

edit: Vaseline Pure Petroleum Jelly

wijcc · 21 Jan 2008 at 16:27

do you know why this happens, this kind of things hasn't happened before with any other cars I have had?
Does anyone know what this grease is called?

moss · 21 Jan 2008 at 16:31

The power stuff is battery acid, I dont really know why it happens, vinegar will clean it off. A standard automotive grease should be ok, any motorfactors should keep tubes of it.

LewisStuart · 21 Jan 2008 at 16:32

Electrolytic Corrosion, when one metal of a higher or lower order in the Atomic Weight table is next to another one and in a damp atmosphere.

wijcc · 21 Jan 2008 at 17:57

thanks guys, so petroleum jelly or grease is the cure to stop it happening again?

Dogbreath · 21 Jan 2008 at 18:03

Boiling water from a kettle will dissolve it, then coat the entire battery post and clamp in Vaseline to prevent it reoccurring.

wijcc · 21 Jan 2008 at 18:09

cool, thanks mate

Zuma · 21 Jan 2008 at 19:35

if this is happening a lot it can be a sign that your alternator is putting out too high a voltage. try checking the volts with the engine running and again with the revs up a bit.

wijcc · 21 Jan 2008 at 19:41

Zuma said:
if this is happening a lot it can be a sign that your alternator is putting out too high a voltage. try checking the volts with the engine running and again with the revs up a bit.

if this is the case what is the fix/cure for this?

needmorespeed · 21 Jan 2008 at 19:49

wijcc said:
if this is the case what is the fix/cure for this?

replace the alternator

wijcc · 21 Jan 2008 at 19:50

needmorespeed said:
replace the alternator

grrrr... is that a hard job to do or a relatively simple fix?

Akira · 21 Jan 2008 at 20:23

wijcc said:
grrrr... is that a hard job to do or a relatively simple fix?

Straightforward swap of a part that's bolted and belted to the engine, but difficulty depends entirely on the space in your engine bay and the depravity of the engine designers. I swear some of them are masochistic to the point of sociopathy. Others, however, can be done and dusted in an hour or so.

wijcc · 21 Jan 2008 at 21:02

Akira said:
Straightforward swap of a part that's bolted and belted to the engine, but difficulty depends entirely on the space in your engine bay and the depravity of the engine designers. I swear some of them are masochistic to the point of sociopathy.
Others, however, can be done and dusted in an hour or so.

Thanks akira, is changing the leads you use to connect the battery a relatively simple job as well?

wijcc · 21 Jan 2008 at 22:39

Zuma said:
if this is happening a lot it can be a sign that your alternator is putting out too high a voltage. try checking the volts with the engine running and again with the revs up a bit.

oh I forgot to ask the most important question, would leaving a alternator that puts out too high a voltage do any other damage/cause anyother problem(s)

Thanks

Akira · 22 Jan 2008 at 00:31

wijcc said:
Thanks akira, is changing the leads you use to connect the battery a relatively simple job as well?

I would have thought so, except that they would be routed, lagged and ziptied up with other wires as soon as they left the battery tray and I can't imagine the problem being there anyway. In my opinion, and don't be sensitive here, you're making a mountain out of a molehill. I would clean the terminals and posts with a wire brush, vaseline them up and forget about them. If you're not having problems with your electrical system, why bother? If they fur up again quickly then fair enough but if it's running, starting and charging, what's the problem?

Zuma · 22 Jan 2008 at 08:13

wijcc said:
oh I forgot to ask the most important question, would leaving a alternator that puts out too high a voltage do any other damage/cause anyother problem(s)

Thanks

yes, it will ruin your battery.
may cause lightbulbs to blow. probably won't do electronics any good either.
best to get a voltmeter and check the voltage with the engine running

tyketto · 22 Jan 2008 at 10:28

copper grease n yeah you will do damage if output is to high...

wijcc · 25 Jan 2008 at 10:54

cool, thanks guys. Will check the battery out during the weekend

Brando · 25 Jan 2008 at 12:35

Battery PD should be 12v with the engine not running
With the alternator working (i.e after warming the engine up a bit and while applying some revs) the PD should be 14v. Any more isn't ideal, any less is a sign the alternator is on the way out.